One of the most significant benefits of starting your seeds is the cost. However, that can quickly be overshadowed if you buy expensive grow lights and run them for months. With energy costs rising, the question arises: What about starting seeds without growing lights? It’s possible, and in this blog post, we share proven tips on how to avoid or reduce the need for grow lights.
The importance of light for seedlings
When we say that it is possible to start seedlings without grow lights, we do not mean that seedlings do not need light. They do. However, by nature, seedlings do not require midsummer light. They begin their natural growth cycle in spring. So if a seedling at a sunny window leans toward the spring sunshine, that does not harm it, but if there is not enough direct sunlight, a seedling will become spindly and weak. It will also grow very slowly; that’s where the idea that seeds need to be started months before being planted comes from.
Start seeds later in the season
The timeframe from seed to planting for most vegetable seeds is 3-10 weeks. That means if your growing season starts in late May, you do not need to start anything before March. We discussed this more thoroughly in the blog post about the indoor seed-starting schedule, including a free printable schedule.
Think again if you plan to run a grow light starting in January. Maybe you would like to grow something else instead. The blog article “Exploring alternatives to starting seedlings early” provides some ideas.
Use a south-facing window for seedlings
The later starting time does help whether you use grow lights or not, as seedlings still need light. However, if you have a south-facing window that can be used for seed starting, you can eliminate the need for grow lights altogether. Later in the season, the sun is already higher, allowing sufficient light to grow a healthy seedling.
Now, we are aware that most people do not have as many sunny south-facing windows as needed for seedlings. However, there is an option to reduce significantly the need for expensive grow lights.
Not all grow lights are the same. Those resembling sunlight AC Infinity IONFRAME EVO3 are far more advanced and cost more. If you have an east or west window, you can combine the sunshine available with implementing the time (morning or afternoon) with grow lights. This will reduce the time needed for the grow lights to be used; in this case, you can get away with less expensive fluorescent lights. The seedlings get the natural sunlight from the sun, and the grow lights only supplement the light when there is not enough light.
Use a combination of indoor seeds starting and winter sowing
If you have more time than money and want to eliminate the need for grow lights entirely but do not have south-facing windows, here is another great option.
If you haven’t heard of winter sowing, we recommend you read our blog article. In theory, this method can be used to start all seedlings. However, seeds do not always germinate on time in a cold climate like ours. That’s where the combination of indoor seed starting and winter sowing comes in handy.
Many things need not be started indoors; winter sowing is the best option, even in our cold climate. However, seeds like onions, which need a warmer temperature to germinate and a cooler temperature to grow, can be started indoors. Once the seeds are up and growing, bring the jugs outside.
This combination can also be used to start heat-loving plants like tomatoes. However, for more sensitive plants like tomatoes, you must bring them in for cool nights. Caring milk jags back and forth is not hard. They are very compact; you can grab six milk jags in one go. Another option is to have the jags in a container for easy transportation.
Please do not bring them in for the night to a warm house, as this is a combination of indoors and outdoors. A cool garage is better, as there is less temperature fluctuation.
Seedlings started in winter sowing alone or in combination will be smaller but more robust than seedlings started indoors. If the goal is to eliminate grow lights, it is an excellent method for seed starting.
Build a cold frame to keep seedlings in
You might have a sunny window to start seedlings indoors as long as they are small. But seedlings grow, and soon enough, they take over the house. It is still too cold for them outside or even in the greenhouse, and they can’t stay indoors any longer.
A cold frame or temporary little greenhouse is handy here. It can be built inside a greenhouse to double the protection or outside in a sheltered location. A structure like that can also be used to harden off seedlings easily.
Some monitoring is necessary in a cold climate. If the temperature drops close to freezing, a cold frame might be unable to keep the seedlings warm enough. Be prepared to bring the seedlings inside during cold spells.
Did we miss a tip on starting seeds without a grow light? Please share it in a comment below.
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